Wire terminal



WIRE TERMINAL Filed Aug. 12, 1946 FIG-1- INVENTOR.

J. F. Merke],

MXQM,

H I S ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 15, 1949 WIRE TERMINAL Joseph F. Mcrkel, Rochester, N. Y.,assignor to General Railway Signal Company, Rochester,

Application August 12, 1946, Serial No. 689,879

3 Claims.

This invention relates to wire terminals, and it more particularlypertains to terminals of the eyelet type in which the end of a wire tobe attached to the terminal is formed around the opening in the eyelet.

In a wire terminal of a character conventionally employed, the eyelet isformed of yieldable material; the end of a wire is formed around theopening in the eyelet; and, by compressing the eyelet with a suitabletool, ears are formed downwardly over the wire to secure it within theeyelet. When a wire terminal of this character after being soldered isfurther compressed by tightening a nut on to it on a terminal post, thesolder bond between the wire and the eyelet is often broken resulting ina poor electrical connection, and the soft strands of the wire are oftenbroken due to such further compression of the eyelet.

An object of the present invention is to provide a wire terminal that issubstantially noncompressible upon tightening a nut on the wire terminalby the use of a suitable non-yieldable tubular spacer as an insert in aneyelet, such spacer serving as an inner support for the attachment of awire and being of sufilcient height above the eyelet when a wire isapplied to the terminal to absorb all of the compression of a nuttightened on to the terminal thus protecting the solder bond between theterminal and wire and the strands of the wire against damage.

Other objects, purposes, and characteristic features of the presentinvention will be in part obvious from the accompanying drawings and inpart pointed out as the description of the inven' tion progresses.

In describing the invention in detail, reference is made to theaccompanying drawing in which corresponding parts are designatedthroughout the several views by like reference characters, and in which:

Fig, 1 is a plan view of a wire attached to a wire terminal;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of a Wire attached to a wire terminal witha portion shown in cross section as taken along the section line 22 ofFig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a spacer used in the wire terminal assemblyshown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an elevational view of the spacer with a portion shown incross section as taken along the section line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a plan view Of an eyelet used in the wire terminal assemblyshown in Fig. l; and

Fig. 6 is an elevational view of the eyelet shown partly in crosssection as taken along the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

With reference to Figs. 5 and 6, the eyelet I!) used in this embodimentof the present invention is formed circular in shape of yieldablematerial having low electrical resistance such, for example,

as copper, with ears ll spaced about the periphthe eyelet. A sleeve l2for supporting the wire at the point of its connection to the wireterminal extends from the right of the terminal as shown in Figsj 5 and6, and comprises the ears l3 which are formed upwardly for use inclamping down on the insulation of a wire when it is attached to theterminal as shown in Fig. 1. Inasmuch as the sleeve l2 clamps on to theinsulation of the wire it is ofi'set slightly downwardly as illustratedin Fig. 6 from the base Illa of the eyelet to an extent substantiallycomparable to the thickness of the insulation of the wire.

The spacer M of substantially non-yieldable material is substantiallytubular in shape, having a base portion of an outside diameter to bereceivable within the opening I5 of the eyelet Ill. The spacer I4 isreceivable within the opening l5 of the eyelet l0 only to the extentlimited by the shoulder l6 which allows the spacer M to be receivablewithin the opening l5 of the eyelet [0 only to an extent not greaterthan the thickness of the base Illa of the eyelet. The opening 9 in thespacer is of a size determined by the diameter of the binding post towhich the wire connection is to be applied.

A groove ll is formed in the periphery of the spacer to conform to theshape of a wire to be connected to the terminal, and the flange l8 atthe lower edge of the groove ll is provided to facilitate in forming thewire strands 20 within the groove H, The flangev I8 is of a diameteronly slightly less than the diameter of the area within the upwardlyformed ears ll of the eyelet H].

In the connection of the wire I!) to the terminal the spacer I4 isinserted within the opening IS in the eyelet I0, and the insulation ofthe wire is removed to an extent to allow the wrapping of the strands 20of the wire around the spacer l4 in the groove ll, preferably as shownin Fig. 1, with the strands 20 of the wire divided and substantialy halfof the strands extending around the spacer l4 each way to be joined atthe point 2| at the left-hand end of the terminal and twisted togetherat that point.

The strands 2B of the wire 19 are clamped within the groove I! of thespacer M by bending the ears ll of the eyelet inwardly, preferably witha suitable tool provided for this purpose. After the ears are formed asshown in Figs. 1 and 2 to clamp the strands 20 within the groove H thesolder 22 is properlyapplied to the left-hand end of the terminal'tosecure the twisted strands-of the wire at the point 2| shown in Fig. l,and when the solder is thus applied it flows to provide a bond betweenthe eyelet ill and the strands 20 of the wire and the spacer It.

To complete the assembly pi a wire is to the terminal T, the ears ii ofthe eyelet iii are bent inwardly around the insulation of the wire i9 asshown in Figs. 1 and 2 to.securely support the wire at the point of itsattachment to the wire terminal T, and thus limit the flexing of thewire I! at the point of its connection to the wire terminal '1.

With reference to Fig. 2 it will be noted that when the wire is iscompletely assembled to the terminal T, and the ears ii are bentinwardly,

the spacer It extends slightly above the ears ii of the eyelet andtherefore the surface 23 of the spacer ll absorbs the full pressureapplied to the terminal T when a nut is tightened on to the terminal inits assembly to a terminal post. Inasmuch as the spacer i4 is rigidlyconstructed to withstand considerable pressure, a nut may be tightenedupon the terminal as tightly as desired without in anymanner disturbingthe bond of the soldered connection or to in any manner damage thestrands 20 of wire l9.

Having thus described a specific wire terminal as one embodiment of thepresent invention, it is desired to be understood that this form isselected to facilitate in the disclosure of the invention rather than tolimit the number of forms this invention may assume, and it is to beunderstood that various adaptations, alterations, and modifications maybe applied to the specific form shown to meet the requirements ofpractice, without in any manner departing from the spirit or scope ofthe present invention except as limited by the appending claizns.

What I claim is: 1. A wire terminal comprising an eyelet havin severalears formed upwardly about its periphery and having a center opening,and a tubular spacer of substantially non-yieldable material receivablewithin said upwardly formed ears and I0 concentric with said opening insaid eyelet, said spacer having a flange at its base bearing against theinner base surface of said eyelet, said flange being of a diameter onlyslightly less than the diameter of the opening formed within said ears,

and said spacer extending upwardly from said inner base surface of saideyelet to an'extent to space the ears of said eyelet from a nut securingsaid terminal to a terminal post when said ears are formed inwardly tosecure a wire between said ears and the periphery of said spacer.

2. In combination, an eyelet having several upwardly extending earsabout its periphery and having a center opening of a substantialdiameter, a tubular spacer of substantially non-yieldable materialhaving a shoulder of reduced diameter extending downwardly from itsbase, said shoulder being of a diameter to fit within said opening andof a depth substantially comparable to the thickness of the base of saideyelet, said spacer having a groove formed about its periphery forreceiving a wire, and said spacer extending upwardly from the base ofsaid eyelet sufllciently to space the upper side of said eyelet from anut securing said terminal to a terminal post when said ears are,formedinwardly so as to clamp a wire within said groove.

3.-The combination with an eyelet having ears formed upwardly about itsperiphery and having a center opening, of a tubular spacer of relativelynon-yieldable material having a groove extending about its periphery forreceiving a wire, said spacer being receivable within said ears of saideyelet concentric with said opening whereby said ears when formedinwardly secure a wire wrapped around said spacer, and said spacerextending upwardly from the inner surface of said eyelet to an extent tospace the ears of said eyelet from a nut securing 'said terminal to aterminal post when said ears are formed inwardly to secure a wire withinsaid groove.

JOSEPH F. MERKEL,

FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Number Great Britain 1904

